ksbarton
@ksbarton.bsky.social
Author of Viking stories of love and adventure
In this month's podcast, Johanna and I were guests on the Vikingology podcast. We chatted about writing, our research, podcasting, and lots more. It was a fun conversation!
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
November 12, 2025 at 6:20 PM
In this month's podcast, Johanna and I were guests on the Vikingology podcast. We chatted about writing, our research, podcasting, and lots more. It was a fun conversation!
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
In our latest episode, we talked about Lagertha, the historical stories of her as a shield maiden who came to Ragnar's rescue *twice*, and the character from the TV show Vikings. If you're interested in our take on how the show Vikings handled Lagertha, give it a listen!
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
September 15, 2025 at 6:20 PM
In our latest episode, we talked about Lagertha, the historical stories of her as a shield maiden who came to Ragnar's rescue *twice*, and the character from the TV show Vikings. If you're interested in our take on how the show Vikings handled Lagertha, give it a listen!
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
One of the simple pleasures of my life was doing the NYT Mini Crossword with friends. Every day we'd share our times, and in these times of stress, it was something I looked forward to doing.
Now, the Mini is behind a paywall. Really, NYT? You can't give us that small pleasure?
Now, the Mini is behind a paywall. Really, NYT? You can't give us that small pleasure?
August 28, 2025 at 5:10 PM
One of the simple pleasures of my life was doing the NYT Mini Crossword with friends. Every day we'd share our times, and in these times of stress, it was something I looked forward to doing.
Now, the Mini is behind a paywall. Really, NYT? You can't give us that small pleasure?
Now, the Mini is behind a paywall. Really, NYT? You can't give us that small pleasure?
New podcast episode out! In this one, Johanna and I talked to historian and author Pamela D. Toler @pdtoler.bsky.social about her book Women Warriors: An Unexpected History. Fun fact: there were women warriors all over the world and in many different time periods.
linktr.ee/womenofthenorseworld
linktr.ee/womenofthenorseworld
August 13, 2025 at 5:21 PM
New podcast episode out! In this one, Johanna and I talked to historian and author Pamela D. Toler @pdtoler.bsky.social about her book Women Warriors: An Unexpected History. Fun fact: there were women warriors all over the world and in many different time periods.
linktr.ee/womenofthenorseworld
linktr.ee/womenofthenorseworld
On the July episode of my podcast, my cohost and I talked to Megan Formanek, author of the Viking Trading Lands series. We discussed her research about women of the Viking Age with a focus on the trade routes through what is now Russia and Ukraine. Plus, a lot more!
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
July 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM
On the July episode of my podcast, my cohost and I talked to Megan Formanek, author of the Viking Trading Lands series. We discussed her research about women of the Viking Age with a focus on the trade routes through what is now Russia and Ukraine. Plus, a lot more!
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
The June episode of my podcast is out! We talked with bestselling author Melanie Karsak! It was a great discussion. We talked about her Vinland to Valhalla series, Freydis Eriksdotter, and about why it's important to her to write strong female heroines.
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
June 11, 2025 at 2:49 PM
The June episode of my podcast is out! We talked with bestselling author Melanie Karsak! It was a great discussion. We talked about her Vinland to Valhalla series, Freydis Eriksdotter, and about why it's important to her to write strong female heroines.
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
linktr.ee/womenoftheno...
#HistFicMay - what book am I going to write? Right now, I'm working on the first book of a trilogy, tentatively titled, The Lost Circle. That's all I'm willing to divulge for now! Fingers crossed, it will be ready for release later this year.
May 31, 2025 at 8:03 PM
#HistFicMay - what book am I going to write? Right now, I'm working on the first book of a trilogy, tentatively titled, The Lost Circle. That's all I'm willing to divulge for now! Fingers crossed, it will be ready for release later this year.
#HistFicMay #writinghabits - favorite time of day to write? Mornings. Maybe not as early as this picture shows, except in the winter when it gets light later. My preferred time to start writing is about 7am. with some breaks until noonish.
May 29, 2025 at 5:28 PM
#HistFicMay #writinghabits - favorite time of day to write? Mornings. Maybe not as early as this picture shows, except in the winter when it gets light later. My preferred time to start writing is about 7am. with some breaks until noonish.
#HistFicMay #writinghabits - does my story have a song or playlist? YES! Every book and short story I've written has a specific playlist of songs (or one song) that fit the mood I want. For the book I just finished, I listened a lot to the soundtrack to the show Arcane.
May 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
#HistFicMay #writinghabits - does my story have a song or playlist? YES! Every book and short story I've written has a specific playlist of songs (or one song) that fit the mood I want. For the book I just finished, I listened a lot to the soundtrack to the show Arcane.
#HistFicMay #writinghabits any pictures or items as inspiration? I have a few items, including the Valkyrie figurine, a replica from one found in Denmark and a raven a friend gave me. Then there is my set of LOTR books that I've had since I was in about third grade. Tolkien is always an inspiration.
May 27, 2025 at 6:55 PM
#HistFicMay #writinghabits any pictures or items as inspiration? I have a few items, including the Valkyrie figurine, a replica from one found in Denmark and a raven a friend gave me. Then there is my set of LOTR books that I've had since I was in about third grade. Tolkien is always an inspiration.
#HistFicMay #writinghabits where do I write and on what? I am privileged to have my own home office where I write most of the time, and I do most of my writing on a good old-fashioned desktop. When I write by hand with paper and pen, it's usually to jot down notes. The notes are very messy!
May 26, 2025 at 6:33 PM
#HistFicMay #writinghabits where do I write and on what? I am privileged to have my own home office where I write most of the time, and I do most of my writing on a good old-fashioned desktop. When I write by hand with paper and pen, it's usually to jot down notes. The notes are very messy!
#HistFicMay biggest research surprise. I knew the Vikings had traveled widely raiding and trading, especially West. I was surprised by their extensive movement East. Kyiv, Constantinople, even Baghdad! We are learning more and more about the Viking's Eastern route and settlements.
May 23, 2025 at 3:36 PM
#HistFicMay biggest research surprise. I knew the Vikings had traveled widely raiding and trading, especially West. I was surprised by their extensive movement East. Kyiv, Constantinople, even Baghdad! We are learning more and more about the Viking's Eastern route and settlements.
#HistFicMay research advice for newbies. Be careful about what sources you use, especially getting stuff off random sites on the Internet. And be REALLY careful about using AI for your research. It's often not right. Find academics who have spent their careers studying your time period.
May 22, 2025 at 6:19 PM
#HistFicMay research advice for newbies. Be careful about what sources you use, especially getting stuff off random sites on the Internet. And be REALLY careful about using AI for your research. It's often not right. Find academics who have spent their careers studying your time period.
#HistFicMay historian whose work I would be lost without. Neil Price! If you want to know about Viking age magic, then The Viking Way is the book to get. It contains so much information. Children of Ash and Elm is a great all-purpose read. I can't tell you how many times I've referenced his books.
May 21, 2025 at 7:13 PM
#HistFicMay historian whose work I would be lost without. Neil Price! If you want to know about Viking age magic, then The Viking Way is the book to get. It contains so much information. Children of Ash and Elm is a great all-purpose read. I can't tell you how many times I've referenced his books.
#HistFicMay - research gems. The Vikings believed there were four parts of the soul. The hamr (physical part of a person), hugr (essence or personality), hamingja (luck) and the fylgja (guardian animal). This grabbed my interest early on and it hasn't let up since!
May 21, 2025 at 2:22 AM
#HistFicMay - research gems. The Vikings believed there were four parts of the soul. The hamr (physical part of a person), hugr (essence or personality), hamingja (luck) and the fylgja (guardian animal). This grabbed my interest early on and it hasn't let up since!
#HistFicMay - best research trip. A few years ago, I visited Sweden. It wasn't a research trip but I was able to visit the historical island of Birka, located on Lake Malaren near Stockholm. Birka was the site of a bustling Viking town and garrison, so it was exciting for me to be there.
May 19, 2025 at 6:56 PM
#HistFicMay - best research trip. A few years ago, I visited Sweden. It wasn't a research trip but I was able to visit the historical island of Birka, located on Lake Malaren near Stockholm. Birka was the site of a bustling Viking town and garrison, so it was exciting for me to be there.
#HistFicMay - historical accuracy, how much matters? This is a BIG question, and I don't have space here to adequately say what I want to say. If you're interested in my thoughts about historical accuracy, sign up for my newsletter. I'll write about this issue in June.
ksbarton.com/free-story/
ksbarton.com/free-story/
May 18, 2025 at 6:28 PM
#HistFicMay - historical accuracy, how much matters? This is a BIG question, and I don't have space here to adequately say what I want to say. If you're interested in my thoughts about historical accuracy, sign up for my newsletter. I'll write about this issue in June.
ksbarton.com/free-story/
ksbarton.com/free-story/
#HistFicMay Day 17 - ever written a character based on yourself? Short answer: no. Most of my characters are based on some part of me. After all, they came out of my head. However, the characters from my 1980s series are much more like me than my Viking characters.
May 17, 2025 at 6:50 PM
#HistFicMay Day 17 - ever written a character based on yourself? Short answer: no. Most of my characters are based on some part of me. After all, they came out of my head. However, the characters from my 1980s series are much more like me than my Viking characters.
#HistFicMay - favorite secondary character. Turns out I liked my secondary character, Helgi, so much in the Norse Family trilogy that I turned him into the main character in the Helgi the Marked books! Little secret - Helgi was inspired by Ponyboy in The Outsiders.
May 16, 2025 at 10:41 PM
#HistFicMay - favorite secondary character. Turns out I liked my secondary character, Helgi, so much in the Norse Family trilogy that I turned him into the main character in the Helgi the Marked books! Little secret - Helgi was inspired by Ponyboy in The Outsiders.
The May episode is out! This month we talk about our research and how that is woven into our books. We both love doing research and love talking about it, so it was a fun chat. Since we were simply chatting, the conversation went in some unexpected directions!
linktr.ee/womenofthenorseworld
linktr.ee/womenofthenorseworld
May 14, 2025 at 7:36 PM
The May episode is out! This month we talk about our research and how that is woven into our books. We both love doing research and love talking about it, so it was a fun chat. Since we were simply chatting, the conversation went in some unexpected directions!
linktr.ee/womenofthenorseworld
linktr.ee/womenofthenorseworld
#HistFicMay Day 13 - antagonist's biggest fear. Like a lot of powerful men, chieftain Harald Olafsson fears losing his power. But he's not the only villain in this trilogy. Astrid and Bjorn must contend with two more and both are a threat to their lives. Enemies are in every corner.
May 13, 2025 at 6:54 PM
#HistFicMay Day 13 - antagonist's biggest fear. Like a lot of powerful men, chieftain Harald Olafsson fears losing his power. But he's not the only villain in this trilogy. Astrid and Bjorn must contend with two more and both are a threat to their lives. Enemies are in every corner.
#HistFicMay - protagonists greatest fear. Astrid fears a Viking attack, and I don't blame her! She fears this because it will tear her family apart. Her fears are not only that raiders will attack her home but that her father, brothers, and other loved ones will not make it back from their battles.
May 12, 2025 at 6:49 PM
#HistFicMay - protagonists greatest fear. Astrid fears a Viking attack, and I don't blame her! She fears this because it will tear her family apart. Her fears are not only that raiders will attack her home but that her father, brothers, and other loved ones will not make it back from their battles.
#HistFicMay Day 9 - antagonist. In my Norse Family trilogy, the antagonist is Harald Olafsson, the uncle to Astrid and foster father to my male protagonist, Bjorn. Harald is a nasty, brutish, controlling Viking warlord. He's the most stereotypical Viking in all of my books!
May 10, 2025 at 12:54 AM
#HistFicMay Day 9 - antagonist. In my Norse Family trilogy, the antagonist is Harald Olafsson, the uncle to Astrid and foster father to my male protagonist, Bjorn. Harald is a nasty, brutish, controlling Viking warlord. He's the most stereotypical Viking in all of my books!
#HistFicMay my protagonist. The main character in my Norse Family trilogy is Astrid, a young Viking woman, who is caught in the middle of a deadly blood feud between her father and his brother. Astrid is loyal to her family. She is torn between protecting her family and her own happiness.
May 8, 2025 at 10:42 PM
#HistFicMay my protagonist. The main character in my Norse Family trilogy is Astrid, a young Viking woman, who is caught in the middle of a deadly blood feud between her father and his brother. Astrid is loyal to her family. She is torn between protecting her family and her own happiness.
#HistFicMay real people/places or fictional? I mostly write fictional people and places. My character, Bjorn, does go to Birka Island, which is a real island near Stockholm. This is the view from Birka overlooking Lake Malaren that I took when I visited. I loved being in a spot with so much history!
May 7, 2025 at 6:47 PM
#HistFicMay real people/places or fictional? I mostly write fictional people and places. My character, Bjorn, does go to Birka Island, which is a real island near Stockholm. This is the view from Birka overlooking Lake Malaren that I took when I visited. I loved being in a spot with so much history!